tampon

Periods. We all have them, and for most of us, we hate them. Periods are hard to track and terribly painful. If your looking for understanding in your period or even just trying to track your period you can use The Flow App. The Flow App is perfect for tracking your period and understanding your body, also gives really cool facts about your body.

Usually, if you have some type of health insurance birth control is free. You can ask your doctor or often at public health clinics. Birth control is not just for sex and does not make you a bad person if you use it. Birth control can also help regulate your period and stop intense stomach cramps.

If you are able to track your period and you have bad cramps try taking medicine a day before your period starts. This way your body will already be prepared to fight the pain. Medicines that usually do the trick is Midol or ibuprofen(DISCLAIMER: I’m not a doctor these may or may not work for you.)

Its okay not to use a tampon, or even be able to put one in. Pads are just as great! Don’t feel ashamed because many women still use pads in their thirties. What you use is truly up to you and what you’re comfortable with.

Although, it is true to avoid certain foods on your period and you should live a healthy lifestyle you should also give your body a break. Being on your period is stressful and your body is doing amazing things. You’ve earned a donut or cookie. Don’t be ashamed to eat some sweets on your period!

Puberty: Changes for Females

Puberty – it’s a crazy time. Your body’s changing, and so is everything else. But, what is causing all these changes?

You know how everyone says that puberty is all about raging hormones? It’s kind of true. Hormones that were hibernating suddenly awaken and signal your body to enter puberty. You might think this doesn’t mean a lot, but hormones cause the changes that are associated with puberty.

Timing of Puberty

Puberty starts at different times and lasts for different periods of time for everyone. It can start as early as 8 years of age to as late as 13 years of age. The sequence of puberty – from breast development to complete physical maturation – may take a year and a half or last as long as 6 years.

This is sometimes very difficult for girls as some of their peers may have entered and completed puberty before they have even started. However, there is no way to slow or speed up the process, but puberty happens to everyone, so never fear, it will happen to you!

You may have heard that girls mature more quickly than guys, and that is somewhat true, since girls usually enter puberty about 2 years earlier than boys.

Below is a general time line for physical changes that occur during puberty (for girls):

Growth of Breasts 8 – 13 Years Old

Growth of pubic hair 8 – 14 Years Old

Body Growth 9 1/2 – 14 1/2 Years Old

First Period 10 – 16 1/2 Years Old

Underarm Hair 2 years after pubic hair shows up

Acne Around the same time as underarm hair

Remember, puberty is not the same for everyone, so some girls will grow pubic hair before they develop breasts, and that is absolutely normal.

Breasts

Breast development begins between 8 years of age and 13 years of age and continues through puberty.

Breast development starts with the flat area around the nipple (areola) becoming enlarged and some breast tissue forming under the nipple. When breast development is complete, each breast is distinct and the areola no longer appears swollen.

Breast size varies from woman to woman, and there is no way to try to make your breasts larger or smaller other than going through plastic surgery, which is not always a very safe or healthy alternative.

Pubic Hair

Pubic hair starts along the vaginal lips, the outer opening of your private parts. The hair becomes darker and coarser and grows like an inverted triangle. Sometimes, the hair spreads to the insides of thighs, as well.

Growing

Puberty also causes you to go through a growth spurt, which results in an average growth of about 3.5 inches a year.

Your head, hands, and feet are the first things to grow. Then you grow in your arms and legs, and finally your torso and shoulders catch up with the rest of your body.

If it’s any consolation, everyone goes through that awkward phase, so you are not alone! Height growth is, of course, accompanied by an increase in weight.

This weight gain is perfectly normal and a part of puberty. Without gaining this weight, you cannot grow taller, develop breasts, or get your first period.

Acne

Finally, underarm hair begins to grow, and your sweat and oil producing glands also start developing, which eventually results in acne when these glands are clogged.

In order to avoid breakouts, you should wash your face twice daily. If you still regularly break out, you may want to speak to a dermatologist.

Young women (especially in the society that we currently live in) have to learn growing up to “hide” their periods. This should never be the case. All females, transgender, and gender-fluid persons need to embrace what we are given and feel supported and comfortable. And in the bathrooms, with accessible female hygiene products, is a start.

I am a current senior at Somerville High School (MA), whose identity as a woman takes main priority for my well-being. I have had to learn the experiences of being uncomfortable in certain situations as I leave class to use the bathroom for four years. As I was sitting in class trying to look for a tampon in my bag a few weeks ago, I had to ask to get a pass to the nurse’s office so that I could use the bathroom. With the male teacher looking at me—coupled with the rest of the students in class—I had to speak code that I was on my period just so that I could approval to use the bathroom.

As I was walking down to the nurse’s office, I kept asking myself: Why do we only have tampons and pads stored in the nurse’s office? Why is not openly available in the location we need it right away: the bathrooms?

At that moment, I felt…ashamed. Uncomfortable. That I needed to tuck away my body.

Then—as I thought of the recent flow of news of women’s marches, legislation impacting my transgender classmates, older adults contemplating my health care—I began to think about those in my school who probably felt as I did walking down the hallway at that moment.

I was right. There were many—one too many.

That is when I, and two other female seniors, decided to take action. We posted petitions in the bathrooms, which were quickly filled up. We researched and shot a campaign video to promote our goal.

It is a story worth sharing; worth making into a reality. It was always the hope that, such insights and advocacy would educate any human how to empathize. For us, this is our way on how, as young people—optimistic of their self-worth—could show that the necessity of providing readily comfort in the bathrooms for all lives, could not wait. Period.